::: rolls up sleeves :::
- Gimme Fiction
- They Want My Soul
- Girls Can Tell
- Kill the Moonlight
- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
- Transference
- Hot Thoughts
- A Series of Sneaks
The earlier stuff is just not that good. #8 is passable, #7 is good, #1-6 are excellent.
In terms of personal preference I agree with you but that’s an apples-and-oranges comparison. U2 is stadium band from the rock era, whereas Spoon never went beyond indie rock sphere (indeed they were quite unlucky with their timing, juuuuust missing out on the riches of the CD era).
As far as their contemporaries go: personally, I rank Spoon above the White Stripes, the National, Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, the Black Keys, TV on the Radio, and other indie big-hitters from the 00s.